Any dates on dropping of 3G? (based on Fizz email)

[ottawa]

Fizz (owned by Videotron, also roams on Rogers, Bell, and Telus AFAIK) sent an email on Feb 4/25, stating that 3G withdrawal will start on Fizz and "some partners" as of July 31/25. After that (they say), we'll need a 4G-capable phone on the VoLTE whitelist.

I've found references to a specific date for Rogers, but not the other carriers. Has Telus/Koodo/PM indicated a hard date for 3G withdrawal?

PM's whitelist is here https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/get-help/articles/volte though it stops at Samsung S23, Flip4, and Fold4 (as examples). Is there a newer list? Are newer handsets in those lines likely to be on the actual whitelist?

Presumably if a phone isn't VoLTE compatible (whether it's 3G or 4G), one could replace from the list. A friend still uses a flip phone, the ZTE Cymbal2. For a while Bell had a different flip phone, though I think it was 4G-compatible and $95 (vs $75). Are there any decent halfway-cheap flip phones with VoLTE capability that will work with PM?

Thanks.

This is the text of the Fizz email, wondering how much applies to PM:

A VoLTE-compatible phone is required.

It's now official. The withdrawal of the 3G network will start July 31, 2025, for Fizz and several of its partners. All calls made with your Fizz mobile plan will then go through the LTE network.

If your phone is not VoLTE (voice over LTE) compatible, no calls (including 911 calls) will go through when the 3G network is gone.

How to know if your phone is compatible.

While at home, make a call by dialling #TEST (#8378) from your mobile phone and listen to the voicemail. If that message confirms your call went through the LTE network, you have nothing to do.

If, however, you hear another message, your phone is not VoLTE-compatible and must be replaced.

[sheytoon]

@hTideGnow Dec 2025 was never the date for Bell and Telus. It was a rumour that got a life of its own.

[hTideGnow]

hi @Grinch 

can't trust AI all the time

@sheytoon  has confirmed that Dec 2025 is no longer the sunset date for Telus and Bell

[Phil_Adelphus]

@Grinch   There are a number of articles on the internet saying that Telus and Bell will shut down 3G as of the end of 2025 so I'm not surprised that an AI generator would pick that up.  Neither have confirmed it even though Rogers has for theirs, but it does seem that Telus at least is working towards a shutdown at some point based on experiences posted here.

[Grinch]

[Phil_Adelphus]

From what I recall, I read the other day that Fizz primarily uses Rogers, so that would be why July this year for VoLTE phone requirement.  FWIW the Fizz whitelist is here, if this doesn't get auto-deleted

https://fizz.ca/en/faq/compatible-devices 

As far as the PM whitelist is concerned, it's assumed that any newer version of what's already on the list should work.

[funpig1]

@ottawa 

My understanding is that the PM whitelist is not complete. It only lists the major phone brands which have been verified by the service provider. There are so many Android phone brands that it would be impossible to verify them all.

Xiaomi and Redmi are not on the whitelist, but once the Volte is enabled, they reportedly work on PM.

Therefore, before going out and buying a new phone, people should just google to see if they can enable Volte on their existing phone and see if that solves their problem.

[ottawa]

Thanks, I'm confident my phone is VoLTE capable, it's about a year old. But I had the impression that's not enough, that a phone must be on the whitelist (published or not publshed) to work. I also found this on the Fizz website (it speaks to the concept in general):

---

Now, the question on everyone’s lips, why are certain phones VoLTE certified for some Canadian operators, but not for others?   

A mobile phone’s VoLTE certification is the result of a technical and commercial agreement between the manufacturer and the operator. Because each operator sets its own requirements and certifications, a given phone may be compatible with VoLTE for one operator, but not for another.

[funpig1]

@ottawa 

FYI, you might not need to replace your phone.

Just google "[your phone model] Volte compatible (or enable)". 

You may find that your phone is Volte compatible even though it is not on the PM Volte whitelist. 

Also a search may show you how to "enable" Volte on your phone which may require inputting a code in your phone dial pad and pushing send.

For example, you can enable and disable Volte in an Xiaomi phone (which is not on the whitelist) by typing *#*#86583#*#* in the dial pad and pushing send. Different phones may require a different code.